Eefrigerating buildings



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1 I F. M. McMILLAN 81; H. G. JOHNSON. REPRIGERATING BUILDINGS, CARS, VESSELSLAND OTHER'STRUUTURES.

No. 257,505. Patented' May 9,1882.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. M. MoMILLA'N & H. G. JOHNSON.

REPRIGERATING BUILDINGS, GARS, VBSSELS; AND OTHER STRUCTURES.

PatentedMay 9,1882.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. MOMILLAN AND HENRY O. JOHNSON, OF VASHINGTON, D. O.

REFRIGERATING BUILDINGS, CARS, VESSELS, AND OTHER STRUCTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,505, dated May 9, 1-882.

Application filed March 9, 1882. (N0 model.)

cooling for buildings and structures of all kinds,inchuling vessels, cars, &0 and it consists in compressing gases or fluids to aliquid form at a central station or main establishment, charging portable receivers with the fluid so compressed, and delivering the same to users or consumers to be employed in connection with cooling apparatus, from which, after effecting its cooling action, it escapes into the atmosphere, into a sewer, or is permitted otherwise to freely escape, and thus carry off the heat taken up in expansion instead of retaining the same in a closed vessel communicating with the expansion coil or chamber.

in the accompanying drawings, Figurel represents a perspective view of our improved apparatus as applied to domestic refrigeration in one form; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the circulating mechanism or of the tank in which said mechanism is placed, Fig. 3, aview of a valve with a stop; Fig.4., a view illustrating the plan as applied for the supply of a community.

'Ihe object of our invention is to overcome the objections existing to present methods of general cooling and refrigeration, which are almost universally accomplished by or with the aid of ice.

As is well known, the ice is often of inferior quality, containing sediment and foreign matters of one kind and another, besides being inconvenient to handle or store, while through.

the failure of the ice-crop}? which often occurs in mild winters, the cost is so raised as to prevent the general use of ice by people of moderate means. By our plan, however, we are able to furnish at a small cost to consumers the means by which cooling or refrigeration may be readily and conveniently effected without any of the annoyances attending the use of ice.

To carry out our improved plan the cooling or refrigerating chambers,'whcther the same be simply the ordinary domestic refrigerator or larger cooling chambers or rooms, will be provided with a coil or an expansion chamber or vessel in which brine may or may not be made to circulate,and in which the gas will be permitted to expand to take up the caloric of the surrounding space. The coil or expansion-chamber, with its appurtenances, is designed to be a permanent fixture of each house or structure to which our system is applied, and proper couplings and connections will be furnished by which communication may be established with the liquid-gas receiver, from which the gas will be permitted to escape in a fineth read or stream, ordinarily, to the expansion coil or chamber, from which it may pass off to a sewer or be allowed to escapminto the air or into a vessel containing lime-water or other chemical matters capable of precipitating the gas. In every instance an outlet or vent for the free escape of the gas after expansion inust be provided, as otherwise the heat taken up by the expanding gas would be retained in the apparatus and interfere with the refrigerating action of the gas.

Referring now to the drawings, in which a simple form of apparatus for domestic use is represented, A indicates a domestic refrigerator-or it may be a room or chamber of larger dimensions-within the wall of which is placed a coil, B, of pipe, as shown.

0 represents a tank containing brine or other non-congealable liquid, within which tank is arranged a pipe or barrel, D, one end of which opens into the tank, while the outer end connects with one end of the coil 13, the opposite end of which coil opens into the tank at or above the level of the brine, as shown. Passing longitudinally through the barrel or cylinder D is a shaft, E,journaled in suitable bearings, having a spiral blade or vane carried about it within the barrel or cylinder, of

'a size to fill but to turn freely within the same,

and carrying also a wheel, 1 composed of cups a, secured to the ends of radial arms b. The purpose of this mechanism is to cause a circulation of the brine or liquid through the coil by the rotation of the spiral blade or vane; and since the fall of the liquid at one side is equal, or nearly equal, to the rise thereof at the opposite side, it will be seen that a very slight motion, and consequently very small power, will suffice to produce the necessary circulation if the down pipe be kept full.

G represents the gas receiver or vessel, charged at the main or central supply-station and delivered to consumers or users filled with gas in a state of high compression, so that by merely making the proper connection with the cooling apparatus and opening a valve sufficiently to permit the escape of the gas in a small or fine stream into the said cooling apparatus the refrigeration is effected. The receiver is furnished with a valve, H, having a stop by which the extent ofits opening is limited, so that the gas may not be allowed to escape too rapidly through careless adjustment of the valve. The receiver is further provided with a nipple and a coupling, 1, outside of the valve, by which the tube or pipe J maybe attached, the other end of said tube communicating with the interior of the tank 0 when a liquid is employed, or directly with the coil or expansion-chamber when such liquid is not used.

The gas passing through tube J escapes through a nozzle or jet, K, and is directed by said nozzle to the hollow or open under side of the cups a, and by reason of its pressure and the displacement of the water from the cups causes them to ascend, thus rotating the spiral blade or vane and producing the circulation, as above explained. It is apparent that the form of the wheel F may be modified, as may also the arrangement of the tank and coil, though the plan shown and described is simple and effieient. A discharge pipe or outlet is provided for the escape of the surplus or waste gas when the brine becomes overcharged therewith. The escape of the gas into the brine or liquid produces intense cold therein as the gas expands, and the circulation of the liquid through the coil in turn cools or refrigerates the chamber or interior of the refrigerator A, which will preferably be formed with non-conducting walls, as usual.

The tank 0 and gas-receiver Gr may either or both be placed within the chest or chamber A-an arrangement which will be preferred at least as to the tank-though for convenience of illustration they are both represented as outside.

An ordinary service water-pipe, L, may be carried into the brine-tank in the form of a coil, and provided with a faucet or cock, M, whereby the water can be cooled as drawn.

As above stated, the tank and liquid may be omitted and the gas allowed to enter directly into the coil or cooling-chamber.

While we have mentioned carbonic-acid gas, and prefer to use the same because of its cheapness and great compressibility, we do not confine ourselves thereto, but may use any of the gases commonly used for refrigeration, among which may be mentioned anhydrous sulphurous oxide, ammonia-gas, &c.

The apparatus t'or'compressing the gas may be of any suitable or usual description, such as is now used with any of the various artificial-ice processes in use at present. The gas will be stored in receivers Gr, each of a size adapted to the wants ofconsumers, whose houses willeach be supplied with apparatus substantially such as above described, and shown in Fig. l.

The receivers will be delivered by wagon or otherwise as the ice is now delivered and the empty receivers collected. They may, however, be conveniently made to contain asupply sufficient for several days, or even longer, thus avoiding thelaborand bother offrequent handling necessary where ice is used.

The quantity of fluid or gas carried inthe receiver will depend upon the character of the structure in which it is used-that is to say, it for vessels the supply should be sufficient for the voyage and to provide for any possible or probable delays, while for dwellings the quantity may be for a longer or shorter period, as desired.

In some cases it may be found preferable to employ a large receiver for supplying consumers, mounting the same 011 a suitable carriage and providing pipes and connections by which to charge the receivers at the houses of consumers.

It will be seen that by this method or system we overcome the great expense to consumers which attends the use by said consumers of the costly compressing machinery, besides rendering the employment of skilled labor unnecessary in connection with the apparatus in domestic establishments. It is likewise Well understood that the compression can be more efficiently and economically carried on on alarge scale than in a small way.

A gradual circulation of the brine or liquid may be secured/by placing the two ends of the coil at different levels in the tank, though we prefer the arrangement shown and described when a liquid is used.

In speaking of the refrigerating or cooling chambers of the structures as permanent, we mean that they remain permanently in said buildings, though they may be moved about therein, if desired or necessary.

Ve are aware that it has been proposed to compress and cool air at one point, force it through pipes to other points, and there employ it in operating air-engines, which in turn operate air-compressors; that air-tight cars have been filled with cooled or refrigerated air, and that in oneinstance it has been proposed tostore anhydrous ammonia in a receiver, permit it to expand and flow through a coil, and then to be discharged into vessels containing water for the purpose of saving the ammgnia to be again rendered anhydrous. Such plan is, however, impracticable, as has been demonstrated by actual and repeated tests, for the reason that the heat taken up by the gas in expanding is absorbed or taken up by the water, which is thereby heated to ahigh temperature, and this in turn prevents further absorption of the gas,

the absorbing capacity of the water decreasing in a ratio the reverse of its increase in temperature, as is well known to persons familiar with the use of apparatus of this nature. The presence of the large body of heated water containing just as many added units of heat as are absorbed by the expansion of the gas will neutralize or materially lessen the cooling effect of the gas, and in short time the pressnre will prevent further action. Moreover, it is impracticable to carry in cars and wessels, or even to place in ordinary buildings, the large water-tanks necessary to the plan mentioned, the weight and size of which will necessarily exceed the weightand bulk of a quantity of ice capable of producing the same degree of cold. Hence the very disadvantages which we seek to overcome, instead of being diminished, will be increased.

It is to be understood that in our apparatus the expansion of the gas into the liquid or brine serves to refrigerate the same, and this in turn serves to cool the air surrounding the coil or chamber, whereas in the apparatus above mentioned the escape into the water is after expansion and when charged with heat. Hence the action or result in one caseisthe opposite of that in the other.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is-- 1. The herein-described apparatus for refrigeration, consisting of a liquefied-gas receiver and an expansion coil or chamber incommunication therewith, and also in communication with the atmosphere, whereby the gas after expansion is permitted to. freely escape.

2. The herein-described plant or apparatus for general refrigeration, consisting, of a general or main compressing apparatus at one point,'one or more expansioncoils or chambers at another point orpoints communicating with the atmosphere, and one or more portable roceivers adapted to be put into communication with such coils or chambers, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The herein-described method of general refrigeration or cooling, consisting in compressing a gas or fluid in quantities at a. main or general supply-point, placing the liqnefied gas in portable receivers, transporting said receivers thus charged to structures containing the chambers to be refrigerated, there placing the receivers in communication with an expansion chamber or coil, and causing the gas after expansion to freely escape from the apparatus, as set forth.

4. In combination with a refrigerator or coolin g-chamber containing a coil or expansionchamber provided with an escape-passage, a compressed-gas receiver or vessel communicating with said coil or expansion-chamber, as set forth.

5. A refrigerator provided with tank 0, coil 13, and gas-receiver G, communicating with the tank, as set forth.

6. In combination with the tank 0 and coil B, the spiral vane arranged within barrel D, wheel F, and jet or nozzle K, connected with a vessel, G, containing compressed gas or fluid, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In combination with a domestic refrigerator or cooling-chamber provided with a brinetank, and a gas receiver or vessel communicating with said tank, a water-service pipe coiled in or carried through said tank and provided with a faucet; whereby the water is cooled as it is drawn.

FRANCIS M. MGMILLAN. HENRY O. JOHNSON. Vitnesses ALBERT MILLER, H. A. LooKwooD. 

